D&D 5E Convince me to Spend the Money

[Wicht]

If you like options, buildz, optimization, etc I'm not sure you're going to like 5e. I personally don't desire such things, but it's important to note that 5e characters are not built using feat trees and the system isn't bloated with modifiers. It really does play more like pre-3e systems with a bit of 3e and 4e salad. There are some things you will like and other things you won't. It all depends on what you liked/hated from each edition.

I ordered online and only payed about $70 for all three core books. I'm glad I didn't pay $150.
At the moment, my 5e books are collecting dust and I haven't bothered to create the house rules to enable my playstyle.

I was a bit disappointed with the lack of options in the PHB and DMG. I really thought I could pick up 5e, select the options that would enable my playstyle, and enjoy the game. Sadly, I don't think I'll ever play 5e as a player unless I can find a group that has modified the system to my preferences. On the other hand, I might DM the system with a set of 2e styled house rules.

You sound like another 2e player. Would that be right? Or do you have another system you prefer?

 

[Sword of Spirit]

If you like options, buildz, optimization, etc I'm not sure you're going to like 5e. I personally don't desire such things, but it's important to note that 5e characters are not built using feat trees and the system isn't bloated with modifiers. It really does play more like pre-3e systems with a bit of 3e and 4e salad. There are some things you will like and other things you won't. It all depends on what you liked/hated from each edition.

I ordered online and only payed about $70 for all three core books. I'm glad I didn't pay $150.
At the moment, my 5e books are collecting dust and I haven't bothered to create the house rules to enable my playstyle.

I was a bit disappointed with the lack of options in the PHB and DMG. I really thought I could pick up 5e, select the options that would enable my playstyle, and enjoy the game. Sadly, I don't think I'll ever play 5e as a player unless I can find a group that has modified the system to my preferences. On the other hand, I might DM the system with a set of 2e styled house rules.

I wouldn't give up on the options for emulating other play-styles just yet. There was apparently more of that in the DMG that got cut for space, and some of it is supposed to still come out in the Unearthed Arcana articles. What you (and I) are looking for might fall into the edition conversion stuff that Mike Mearls said couldn't be finalized until the guy who needed to do the final part of the work got done with jury duty in a few months.

So, there are still delays, but I'm holding out hope for my gestalt multiclassing and other options.

 

[pogre]

Ask to borrow it from someone in your rpg group. Personally, I would be more than willing to loan a rulebook to a friend who plays in my group for a couple days to see if they would like to buy it. If no one in your group owns it, maybe you have a more local gaming message board or even could use facebook. Just post: "Hey, I am thinking about buying the 5e core rulebooks, but not sure I want to spend the money. Would someone be willing to loan me a book to read for a couple of days?" I'm sure lots of people would volunteer to loan it to you.

I'm not really very value conscious about rule books and typically will buy anything that mildly interests me. I probably should debate it more as you are doing. Most of my gaming friends buy lots of rules too. My group loans each other books all the time to check the books out. My players used to frequently PUSH books at me and say, "See if you might be interested in running THIS!"

If borrowing the books are not an option - I cannot recommend buying the books just to read them. They're too high priced for just reading.

 

[MechaPilot]

Can somebody cast Raise Dead on the Oxyclean guy and hand him a copy of 5e? Or, maybe get Ron Popeil and his spray-painted bald-spot in here with the starter set? That's probably the only way this thread is going to have any resolution.

 

[Queer Venger]

Jebus, it's fricken free! How many games can you play for FREE??

If your eyes can't handle it, print the dang basic rules out then.

Some people would complain about a sunny day...

So true Galendril. I find it some funny how some folks get on these boars, ask "Convince me/Sell me/Talk me into..." ad nauseam and ultimately have no desire to be convinced otherwise. I enjoy reading for irony, and you are right, no matter what you say, the decision is already made.

The OP asks us to 'convince him to spend money' which is funny because despite several responses indicating its free the popular perception is that you have to spend money to invest in a new system. Maybe some people do like to spend money so they feel that what they have is worth their time.

That is the beauty of the new business model, evidenced by what we've seen. You dont need to buy anything, the rules are free.

 

[Wicht]

Can somebody cast Raise Dead on the Oxyclean guy and hand him a copy of 5e? Or, maybe get Ron Popeil and his spray-painted bald-spot in here with the starter set? That's probably the only way this thread is going to have any resolution.

This thread has already had an effect; but its interesting to still read what people have to say.

 

[Wicht]

So true Galendril. I find it some funny how some folks get on these boars, ask "Convince me/Sell me/Talk me into..." ad nauseam and ultimately have no desire to be convinced otherwise. I enjoy reading for irony, and you are right, no matter what you say, the decision is already made.

The OP asks us to 'convince him to spend money' which is funny because despite several responses indicating its free the popular perception is that you have to spend money to invest in a new system. Maybe some people do like to spend money so they feel that what they have is worth their time.

That is the beauty of the new business model, evidenced by what we've seen. You dont need to buy anything, the rules are free.

When the books are free, that will have some relevance to whether or not I should buy the books (though if the books were free then this whole thread would be rather silly). I wanted to know if the books were worth the value as books.

I am not sure why I have to keep repeating this, but the question was not convince me to play 5e. There is a different attraction to books that is somewhat separate and apart from the attraction of the game itself.

 

[Shasarak]

I am not sure why I have to keep repeating this, but the question was not convince me to play 5e. There is a different attraction to books that is somewhat separate and apart from the attraction of the game itself.

You should not have to ask what people like about 5e. If you had gone through the complete indoctrination process then you would already know!

 

[Queer Venger]

When the books are free, that will have some relevance to whether or not I should buy the books (though if the books were free then this whole thread would be rather silly). I wanted to know if the books were worth the value as books.

I am not sure why I have to keep repeating this, but the question was not convince me to play 5e. There is a different attraction to books that is somewhat separate and apart from the attraction of the game itself.

The rules are free download as pdf, which you can print ( I printed 2 color copies) ergo the system is free. Why would any company give you a $49 book for free unless you are a reviewer??? Why??

 

[Hussar]

As an added bonus they even provide a printer friendly copy of the rules to print. Print double sided to save paper and it might cost you ten bucks (including ink) to print the entire game.